Happy Birthday
by SoulPariah
Summary: Malachai begins to wonder about his religion as his birthday grows near...


"Children of the Corn", Malachai, Rebecca, and Issac belong to Stephen King. I'm getting nothing from this, save for sick satisfaction.  
  
Flame me, I'll bite ya!  
  
  
  
  
  
"Happy Birthday"  
  
  
  
He had been gone for the entire morning, and half the afternoon.  
  
Malachai sighed. There would be too many questions about his whereabouts when he returned. Just thinking about it made his head ache.  
  
The corn grew tall around him, shielding him from the outside world. He liked it that way. It was the only way to get any peace, especially the way Issac had been lately. Ever since that last trio of Interlopers had come through Gatlin and escaped their intended demise, everyone had been walking on pins and needles around Issac. He was not pleased.  
  
Malachai leaned his head back and breathed deeply, listening to the corn. It rustled gently in the warm summer breeze. Issac preached in about an hour, maybe less. As always he would preach about hellfire and redemption, about the forgiveness they must seek from a vengeful God. Issac would talk about how blessed he was because He Who Walks Behind the Rows had come to him and him alone. How the next pair of Interlopers who would attempt to enter their town would suffer. And, as always, he ouwld remind them that if any showed the slightest resistance against Issac of He Who Walks Behind the Rows, their suffering would be even greater.  
  
Malachai glanced up, and the still-crucifyed body of a dead policeman. He wondered if he was the only one who knew why these people really had to die. They weren't evil, they weren't Interlopers; they were simply pawns Issac used to strengthen his grip upon the children.  
  
Her footsteps were as soft as the whispers of a ghost, and her hand touched Malachai's shoulder softly, like the weak grip of the dying. Malachai jumped, and turned to face Rebecca.  
  
"I thought I'd find you here. Everyone is worried sick about you." Rebecca told him in her gentle voice.  
  
Malachai looked up at her from the ground. He got to his knees and wrapped his arms around her pregnant belly.  
  
"Malachai, are you alright?" Rebecca asked, stroking his longish blond hair.  
  
"Fine, I've just been thinking...Rebecca? Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure. Anything."  
  
"Do you love me?"  
  
Rebecca laughed. "Of course I love you. You're my husband."  
  
"No, no, forget all that." Malachai tried to find the right words. "If it was just you and me, if we hadn't been married, would you still want to be with me?"  
  
Rebecca smiled. "Of course I would."  
  
Malachai got to his feet. "Rebecca..." he trailed off, ataring into her eyes. For the first time in their year of marriage, he allowed that burning desire he held for her to surface. He kissed her deeply, with all passion he was never allowed to show.  
  
She pulled back, looking shocked. "Malachai, what are you doing?"  
  
"Rebecca, don't you feel anything for me beyond devotion? Don't you ever want to give into other forms of love?"  
  
Malachai could see she wasn't following him, so he continued. "When we laid together those two times before the baby was conceived, did you feel anything beyond your suty to give me a baby? Didn't you want to feel more than that?"  
  
Rebecca nodded slowly. "But Malachai, if they saw how you just kissed me, they'd..." she trailed off, not really needing to finish. Malachai knew that indulging in pleasures of the flesh was sinful, and he knew the punishment for it. But there was something that stopped him from caring.  
  
"Becca, my eighteenth birthday is coming in just a few weeks. I know no one has really talked about it, but....you know what happens to everyone on their eighteen birthday.  
  
She nodded silently. Malachai would go to become one with He Who Walks Behind the Rows. In other words, she thought , he's going to be killed brutally and senselessly. Rebecca's own doubts for their religion had been growing over the past year. She felt Issac's rule over them becoming weaker.  
  
"I...Issac will be coming out here soon. If we're caught, there'll be more trouble for us. Can't we just talk about this later?" she begged.  
  
In response, Malachai kissed her. This time, she didn't turn away.  
  
One month later  
  
A small girl, Mary, burst into Rebecca and Malachai's house. "Interlopers!" She cried. "A man and a woman! Issac is swearing blood will fall before the night!" she then ran out, down to the next house, still screaming.  
  
Rebecca felt a knot in her stomach. Malachai stared at her his eyes filled with love, ad something else. Fear. Rebecca cleared her throat, and said softly to him, "Happy Birthday, Malachai." 


End file.
